The Canadian Medical Association had suggested animals should travel in airplane cargo holds because they present serious risks for people with pet-related allergies in a setting in which it would be difficult to get them medical care quickly.

But the Calgary-based airline says passengers are kept apart if they say ahead of time that they’re travelling with a pet or that they have allergies. It also says its planes have good air filters to eliminate allergens.

Another option, it says, is to offer passengers with allergies a different flight with no dogs or cats on board.

WestJet says there have been only a handful of allergy-related incidents on its aircraft in the past 18 months.

Air Canada had a policy between 2006 and 2009 that banned pets in the passenger cabin, but reversed it.

The Canadian Press

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